FUN in Fundations Stations!

This week during Fundations stations students reviewed bonus letters and closed syllables. We watched a fun Alphablocks video to kick off the lesson, then broke into differentiated groups to rotate through stations. This group is constantly impressing me with their knowledge of spelling principles!

Alphablocks clip

Students search for and correct spelling errors on words with bonus letters.

Caleb and Elise work on trick word tic-tac-toe

Ada and Luke hard at work!

Molly and Nadia practice marking up bonus letter words.

Writer's Workshop: Map of my Heart

In Writer’s Workshop this week we read a fun mentor text ‘The Best Story’ and students brainstormed ideas for a ‘Map of My Heart’. We will be doing a lot of writing in our classroom over the next few weeks to celebrate the fall and Halloween season just around the corner.

Sadie, Soren and Gwyneth are busy filling the Map of their Hearts!

Nadia adds to her 'favorites'

J.J. decorates his heart map.

Starting Reader's Workshop!

Throughout Reader's Workshop in the past few weeks, students have practiced expanding their reading selection and choosing a ‘just right’ book. We read the mentor text Goldi Socks and the Three Libearians, and discussed the “five finger rule”. Ask your child how this rule works!

Annie tries out a non-fiction book using the five finger rule.

Danielle uses the five finger rule with a new series.

Jake reads the first page of a new book!

We also explored our classroom library and learned how and where our non-fiction, fiction, and series books are organized. During independent reading time, I have started conferencing one-on-one with students and learning more about them as readers. During share time we practiced the ‘turn and talk technique' with a partner. This is when students quietly share their thinking with a buddy. We are having fun in Reader’s Workshop and working hard!

Welcome to Second Grade!

Hi Second Graders! I have been busy this month getting our classroom ready for your arrival. I hope you have all had a restful and fun summer and are looking forward to coming back to Steward! Here are some before and after pictures of our classroom to get you excited! See you next week!

Before

Almost ready for you!

End of Second Grade!

Thank you for all of your help over the past year!

It has been a pleasure to teach and learn from your children everyday. We feel privileged to have had such a wonderful group of students this year. As a class, we talk all the time about how we have morphed throughout the year into a family, or community of learners. I believe it is so important that students feel comfortable participating, sharing, and opening up in the classroom. This group has not only been able to do that, but also helped to guide each other on their journey together through second grade. They are such creative and inspiring learners.

            Thank you for all of your help as parents supporting your children and making this year a great experience. I have truly enjoyed my first year teaching at Steward and look forward to many more great years to come. We wish you a wonderful summer vacation!   

                                                                          Sincerely,

                                  Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Serino

Field Day Fun!

Author's Share Celebration

Here are some family pictures from our Author's Share Celebration on June 10th! Thank you to all families for coming to celebrate the hard work these students have done in Writer's Workshop this year!

Field Trip to Gloucester Maritime Museum

We had an awesome trip to the Gloucester Maritime Museum! We were so fortunate to have beautiful weather to explore the touch tanks, whale and fisheries exhibits, and eat lunch in the park. Here are some fun pictures from our trip!

Tour guide Amanda teaches us about skates in the touch tank aquarium.

Students examine a whale skeleton with Mrs. McInnis.

Drew creates his fish print.

Students use microscopes to magnify plankton in the lab.

NOAA Marine Life Visits Steward!

Over the past couple of months I have worked closely with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the team at the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office in Gloucester (where Mr. Ford works) to coordinate a fun program to bring to the second graders at Steward School. This morning, students had the opportunity to explore more about ocean life and visit five hands-on stations.

Edith Carson, NOAA biologist, introduces her team and today's activities. Behind Mrs. Carson is an inflatable life-sized right whale calf.

Students were extremely engaged by the interactive stations that focused on the different life cycles, habitats, and adaptations of familiar and unfamiliar ocean creatures. 

Here are some snapshots from our fun morning:

Students experimented using their sense of smell at the Sturgeon Station. Sturgeon use their sense of smell to locate and return to their old spawning ground each year.

In the next station, children got to listen to whales and dolphins communicate through echolocation. Students then played a game and guessed which ocean creature they heard. They each received a fun whale and porpoise pamphlet to take home as well!

At the turtle station, students learned about the difference between land and sea turtles. Did you know they have different ways to use their protective shell to defend themselves? Ask your child about it! The children also learned that turtles only use their mouths to eat. They practiced pinching different food items with different kinds of pinchers, just like the different turtles use their unique mouths to eat different foods. Students practiced acting as loggerheads, leatherbacks and Kemp's ridley turtles using different instruments. Turtles have many unique adaptations!

After our visit early this week by Mrs. McInnis, students could easy tell the scientist at the whale station all about toothed and baleen whales! They each got to experiment eating like a toothed and baleen whale using different tools. Ask your child which they thought was easier!

 In the last station, students got to touch some fish that are local to our area in the northwest Atlantic. We learned about the anatomy of popular fish such as haddock and bluefish, and how special features on their body are used for protection! Students then got to see a fish dissection! Mr. Gilbert took out the ear bone (otolith) of a flounder and showed the kids how scientists use this to collect information on the age of each fish.

We loved having NOAA visit us this year! They brought incredible artifacts and hands-on experiments to help teach the children about the ocean life that lives in their area. Each student came home today with a number of fun bookmarks, stickers, and activities to show you at home! We look forward to learning more on our field trip next week to Gloucester!